


Freed Words

by Crashthefandoms



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-11-28 21:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11426802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crashthefandoms/pseuds/Crashthefandoms
Summary: Jughead Jones, the rebel, the outcast, the loner.All he's ever had are himself and his unwritten words, bouncing around in his head.For years he's never been able to finish or see through a storyA constant writer's block plagued himUntil he met the most beautiful girl ever, and suddenly... the words in his head were freed





	1. This Story Begins with a Smile

Jughead slid into the empty booth, illuminated only by the orange rays of the setting sun and the neon lights encompassing every window at Pop's. He pulled his laptop out of his backpack and opened it up. All he saw staring back at him was his own reflection. But for a split second, right before his computer finally turned on, there was another person's reflection from behind him.

Jug was too busy thinking ahead about the story he was trying to write. All he saw were a pair of legs walking past his booth out the corner of his eyes. He just dismissed it as another customer coming in. All he had to do was look up. His writer's block had been driving him insane for weeks, months, hell even years on end. He couldn't finish a single story or poem or anything. He'd get at least halfway through writing, before losing the motivation or being distracted by another one of his dad's drunken nights.

This story, this one though, it had to be different. He had to be able to see it through. Someone needed to stay behind the scenes, right? Someone had to paint an outsider's point of view. After all, it's not like kids got murdered every day in Riverdale. Someone had to tell the story of Jason Blossom's death and the ensuing chaos that would soon follow.

Now if only his stupid brain would work!

 _C'mon Jug, just start writing.. see where it goes._ He silently cursed himself before taking a deep breath and placing his fingers on the keys.

_"The death of Jason Blossom goes further than your usual morbid tale of tragedy and murder. It all begins with a Capulet and Montague-esque rivalry, only reborn and spat out in the form of the Cooper and Blossom families.  At first everyone thought he had gone missing, but when his body was discovered by the lake..."_

"Can I have a coca-cola? That's it. Thanks." Jug gave a quick smile to the waitress. _His body was_ _discovered by the lake...and then... and then..what? Jesus Christ, Jug, this shouldn't be that hard.. you can do this_

He was about to do it, his fingers just started to twitch, to press on the laptop keys once more, to continue this gruesome and chilling story.

But a sight in front of him _distracted_ him. A few booths away, sitting down and brushing a loose strand of blonde hair out of her face, Betty Cooper looked straight ahead right at him. It was only a couple seconds, enough for a quick smile and wave before she went back to her conversation with Veronica.

Those couple of seconds were all that Jug needed.

His fingers started jumping from one key to the next, weaving his story, seeing the words in his head come to life on the screen.

_"..but when his body was discovered by the lake, the rivalry between the Coopers and the Blossoms exploded and became something much uglier and deadlier. While the rest of the town recoiled in horror and heartbreak, the Coopers and the Blossoms only intensified their hatred for the other. Maybe it was the only way both families knew how to cope, with hatred and almost juvenile grudges. Juvenile or not though, these grudges had a lasting impact on Riverdale and everyone who inhabited the small and plain town, but now there was nothing plain whatsoever about this town or anyone in it."_

Jug's eyes were laser-focused on his computer, it was as if he was possessed. The words in his mind, the story he desired to tell, it was as if the locked cells in his mind all suddenly swung open with such a force that all the words burst out from his head down to his fingertips.

_"To understand the events of the past few days, we have to first understand the players involved. There's of course no bigger players than the two war mongering families. Each desperate to cut the throat of the other, to watch all the blood run dry while the flames licked on. The Cooper family is a good start. There was Alice Cooper and Hal Cooper, the two heads of the Cooper family snake. These two heads constantly spat venom and hissed at the other two heads across the aisle: Penelope and Cliff Blossom. Besides the two deranged heads of the snake, there were two daughters-Polly Cooper and Betty Cooper."_

Jug glanced up towards the booth Betty was sitting. This time there was no smile, no eye contact, she was lost in her conversation, her world. But he couldn't help but notice the dimple on the corner of her lips while she smiled and talked.

_"Betty Cooper, a Juliet if there ever was one. Maybe not as naive as the original Juliet, but instead of nativité, she had a pure moral compass. She was kind, compassionate, beautiful. Even just a smile was enough to make you forget about a warring bloodshed feud that's taken hold of Riverdale for years. Her eyes were so vibrant and expressive. It was like staring into sea-green waters. All you wanted to do was just float and drown slowly, just consumed by the warmth and heart those two eyes radiated. She was the essential piece, the only piece keeping the town above total destruction. Her smile could end any war, any feud, any bloodshed, any and all but the most important one: Coopers versus Blossoms. In that regard, she was unfortunately helpless."_

"Hey Jug!" Jughead instantly closed his laptop and blinked, trying his best to remain calm and collected. The voice came from Betty Cooper's lips, the same lips that smiled at him just a few minutes earlier. "I just wanted to see how you were doing?" Betty gave him a reassuring smile, glancing at the empty booth facing Jug.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He nodded towards the empty seat. "And you?"

Betty let out a wry chuckle, glancing out the window. The sun had set by now, the last rays of light poking out through the trees. Within a few seconds, the last few rays had faded into obscurity. "I'm.. not sure, to be honest. Just.. Jason, and Polly, and then Archie is just a whole other thing too."

Jug's eyebrow raised in confusion. "Archie?"

"Oh, um.. he and I.. um.. it's..it's nothing." Her emerald eyes looked like they were about to shatter into a million pieces. She wouldn't even look at him. Her hands were in her lap as she tried hard to push the memory of the dance out her mind. "W-What are you writing..?" She suddenly perked up, trying her best to change the subject.

"Just an English paper."

"English paper?" A beautiful, almost angelic, laugh echoed out from her smile. "You? Jug, if you're going to lie to me, at least use a believable excuse."

"Okay fine, you caught me." Jug smiled, holding his hands up in surrender. "It's just a story I'm working on."

"A story?" Betty leaned forward across the table, genuinely interested. "I heard that you're a writer, I'd love to read it! Can I..?" Her eyes remained fixated on his, the green waves surrounding her pupils were still rippling from fresh tears, she was still fragile. Fragile over what? Jug didn't know. He didn't know that after not hearing the words she wanted Archie to say, Betty was desperate to read any word from anyone, any word that was made genuinely. Right now she wanted to see Jug's words, to see what came genuinely from his mind.

But just like Archie, Jug denied her the satisfaction of hearing or seeing the words she needed.

"Sorry, I was about to leave actually." Jug hastily slid his laptop into his backpack, swinging it over his shoulder.

"I'll see you around?" Betty was still seated even when Jug stood up to leave.

"You can count on it, Juliet." Jug smiled warmly at her, before quickly realizing the word that slipped from his lips. Before, his words couldn't see the light of day, but now they were pouring out in waves?

Before Betty could even respond, the door to Pop's had shut behind Jug as he walked out into the cool air of the evening.

All he could think about were those sparkling viridescent eyes

And the warm gleaming smile she sent his way.

Betty Cooper, the perfect angel, the perfect Juliet

The perfect ray of light in a ravaging storm.


	2. Paired Up like Blue and Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead decides to take his story a bit further, by actively investigating the murder of Jason Blossom
> 
> He just wasn't expecting anyone else to join him

The neon glow of Pop's faded slowly behind him. What started off as a slow walk soon transformed into a mad dash across the town of Riverdale. He didn't know why he was running, his feet just had a mind of their own. Dirt kicked up behind Jughead, the only sounds to be heard were the gravel beneath his feet and his panting breath. Finally, he came to a stop in the middle of nowhere.

_"You can count on it, Juliet."_

Stupid. Absolutely stupid. A girl like Betty Cooper, a perfect yet flawed character in this twisted town. Then there was himself, the weirdo kid whose dad is a Serpent. Every day the contrast between his life and everyone else's only intensified. He wasn't like Archie or Betty, he didn't belong there. The Southside just kept calling out to him, whispering these thoughts and insecurities. It almost felt like he was being forced to choose, the Southside or the rest of Riverdale.

Besides, if Betty Cooper is Juliet, then he's sure as hell not Romeo.

Jughead Jones, with his usual gray beanie sitting atop his head, plopped down on the empty barren road. It was late and Riverdale still insisted on maintaining it's usual "normal" routine, so of course no one else was going to be up this late.

Or so he thought.

* * *

First Archie abandoned her, then Veronica had to go home, and just now Jug rushed out the door, leaving Betty to sit alone at an empty booth in a near-empty Pop's. She used her sleeves to hastily wipe the fresh tears in her eyes before getting up and walking out the door. She wasn't going to waste her time crying over Archie or worrying about Polly, she had to do something. She had to find out everything.

The cool night air cut against her face like ghostly fingertips trailing across her skin. Betty didn't even notice, she was too intensely focused on one thing and one thing only: what the hell is going on in Riverdale. Her brisk pace led her straight to Sweetwater River. If there was ever a place, this was her best bet to find something, anything. Riverdale was a small town, sure, but the list of suspects, secrets, and lies overpopulated the quaint little community.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the absence of any police tape or hint that there was a crime scene here.

Riverdale still insisted on maintaining it's usual "normal" routine, so of course they were going to clean up the smudge on the "perfect picture frame".

Before crouching down to inspect the area by the shore where Jason's body was found, Betty paused to listen. There was nothing. All she could hear were the calm waves of the lake and the occasional chirping of crickets in the distance. Upon feeling satisfied with the lack of imminent danger, she crouched down and observed the sand and little pebbles. What did she even expect to find? A giant poster that said, "JASON'S KILLER IS..."? Betty Cooper had no idea what she was doing here, no idea what she was trying to find, no idea why she was out way past curfew. All she knew was the pestering feeling boiling up inside her, a feeling of guilt, shame, and something else..

Her reflection in the water stared blankly back at her, the moon was shining brightly now above. For a moment she didn't see herself, she saw Polly. She saw Polly happily in love with Jason, she saw the heartbreak she could only imagine Polly felt. She saw Polly in the bathroom trying to hurt herself. She saw Polly going insane.

But the next moment she saw her own reflection. A perfect "good girl next door". But she knew that was a hideous lie, and she hated it. She detested the facade of Riverdale, not because of how hypocritical and damaging it was to everyone, but because she knew she contributed to the veil over the town. She wore her own mask just like everyone else.

And she hated herself for it.

But that hatred paled in comparison to the kind of hatred and inhumanity that would drive someone to murder.

 _Jesus Christ.. it could be anyone I know.._ Betty chewed her bottom lip in worry, her eyes drifting back to the reflection in the water.

"Jug?! What the hell?" She instantly recognized the mysterious boy, his jet-black hair curled up at his forehead as usual. Almost simultaneously she recognized what Jughead Jones was holding.

_**Bang** _

The gunshot echoed across the lake. The back of Betty Cooper's head floated up in the water, blood slowly spreading out and poisoning the cleaned-up, pure, innocent picture the town of Riverdale sought to maintain. Her eyes were wide open, mouth slightly agape in mid-surprise. The sickening recent history of the lake's waters, a tale of murder and secrecy, slowly entered her mouth and flooded her lungs.

It didn't matter though.

She stopped breathing long before her face touched the water.

* * *

_**Thud** _

"Jug?! What the hell?" 

Betty Cooper, in all her gore and glory, sat up on the gravel with her elbows propped up. Her face was wincing in pain as she gripped her knee. There was also a scratch with fresh blood trailing down her arm.

Jughead Jones instantly woke up, he hadn't even intended on falling asleep in the middle of the road after midnight. Without waiting to fully wake up, in his surprised half-awake state, he crawled over to Betty and looked at her with concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, it's just a scratch and a bruise I think." ~~Juliet~~ Betty didn't protest when Jug gently put his arm around her waist and helped her back up on her feet.

"Can you stand and walk?" His arm was firm around her waist, not daring to let go and hurt her again.

"I'm okay, Jughead, really.."

There it was. That beautiful angelic smile. It seemed almost ethereal under the glow of the moonlight. Jug couldn't help but crack a half-smile, with eyes glazed over, lost in the spectacle that was Betty Cooper.

"Jug, you can let go now, I'll be okay." A hearty giggle poured out of her lips and graced Jug's ears. "But, if you're _that_ concerned, you can at least make up for tripping me by holding my hand just in case I do topple over."

Betty's hand slowly pulled Jug's arm off her waist and snaked down his arm to tenderly lock fingers with his.

Inside Jug's mind words were bursting at the seams.

_Two colors consumed Riverdale, two colors consumed the tragic death of Jason Blossom, two colors showed up around every corner. Right now in that moment, they were paired up like blue and gold. Both integral to the weaving story Riverdale kept writing. Blue and Gold symbolized the "normalcy". Riverdale High sported Blue and Gold. Those colors were vital, they were part of everyone's story, both young and old._

_These two colors, when put together, held so much history._

_Maybe this was the start of a new history to be written, Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones._

_Paired up like Blue and Gold_

"Mind telling me what the mysterious Jughead Jones was doing sleeping in the middle of the road by Sweetwater River?" They both walked slowly, inching closer and closer to the shore of the lake. Jughead was silent until they sat down in the sand, overlooking the water.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep, I just laid down to think for a moment and I guess I drifted off for a bit."

"Shouldn't you be at home, sleeping in a bed?" Betty's eyes stared at Jug, even though he just stared straight ahead at the water. She noted how tense his jaw looked and didn't say anything. All she did was reassuringly squeeze his hand. This prompted Jug to squirm his hand out of her grasp and hug his knees.

"I should be asking you the same thing, Ms. Cooper." His smirk sent chills down Betty's spine, but not in the fearful kind of way. It was more of an intrigued and happy kind of chill she felt. She didn't even realize that her other hand had ceased rubbing the nail marks in the palm. Somehow she felt calmer and more secure that night under the pale moonlight next to the pale and unusual boy.

"I couldn't just keep going on like everything was fine." Betty sighed throwing her hands up in the air. "I had to go out and do something. Find something! A hint maybe or..or.."

"Answers. Peace of mind. The conclusion to the story? An end to all the secrecy and falsities this town props up like an advertisement board." Jughead found and spoke the words Betty couldn't, but needed to hear.

"Exactly.." A soft whisper escaped her breath. "I want to find out what happened."

"Funny, that's the same reason I was out here."

"I thought you were out here sleeping in the dirt just to think?"

"Well," Jughead smiled and let out a light chuckle. "The quiet and serenity of the night helps me think, and I needed to think about the murder, rivalries, everything this town has to offer underneath its disguise."

Betty took a moment to stare out at the water, which reflected the night sky and the surrounding trees that towered overhead. Then, she looked at Jughead, who was staring at her this time around.

"What?" Betty laughed, looking down as she tried to hide the pink in her cheeks.

Jughead slowly smiled, taking her hand and helping her up. "Betty Cooper, would you like to be my partner in this investigation?"

Betty took his hand graciously, standing up and facing the raven-haired and complex boy. "Of course, Jughead Jones. Could you walk me home so I don't trip and fall?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, Romeo."

Betty laughed at Jug's momentary surprised and embarrassed expression, before leading the way towards her house, with Jughead's hand gently in her soft grasp.

 

 

 


	3. Lash Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead asks Archie a question that only leads to chaos
> 
> Betty unwillingly faces her inner demons

The odd duo finally came to a stop at the street corner facing Betty's house. The blonde's hand was still interlocked with the raven-haired boy's hand.

"Well, this is my stop." Betty spoke softly, with a small smile tugging the corners of her lips. "Thanks for walking me home. You got my number, right?"

"Yeah," Jughead glanced down at the slightly smudged digits on his palm in black sharpie. He couldn't help but grin as he recalled the recent awkward bumbling interaction they created all due to one question: _"Can I have your number?"_

 

 

_"Can I have your number?" The socially awkward Jughead Jones didn't think much of his question, he was mainly asking it for the investigation, to stay in touch. But after a few moments he realized what he just asked, and was surprised the question came out so easily._

_Betty was frozen in place for a second, unsure how to read Jug and his question. Was he asking it as a formality just for the investigation, or would they maybe be talking more often? The thought provoked a smile from her. She looked down, brushing back a few loose strands of hair from her face. At this rate her cheeks were going to turn bright red like a tomato._

_"I don't know where my phone is.." Betty sighed, before her eyes lit up and she scrounged inside her bag. "But..I do have a sharpie. Give me your hand."_

_"You really like holding my hand, don't you?" Jughead cracked a smile, staring at the way Betty's face concentrated on his hand. Her nose scrunched up and her heavenly eyes were fixated on the task. She was holding his hand warmly while she wrote her number._

_"Shut up.." Betty laughed, a bit flustered. "Maybe if you didn't spend so much time clicking away on those computer keys.."_

_Jug's eyes were transfixed on Betty's lips as she bit them before smiling up at him. "If I didn't spend so much time on my computer..then what?"_

_The beautiful girl let out a nervous chuckle. "Too much computer screen can hurt your eyes."_

_"Oh c'mon, that was not what you were gonna say!"_

_"Jughead Jones.." Betty caressed his face, her fingers barely grazing his skin. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't."_

_Jug felt something strange on his cheek while Betty caressed it, it almost felt like her hand had cuts on it. "Is you hand okay..?"_

_His question broke the temporary spell Betty was under. Her eyes blinked a couple times, before pulling her hand away. "Yeah, must've scraped it when I fell."_

_"Let me see it, it could be serious." Jughead reached for her hand, but Betty quickly pulled it back and crossed her arms._

_"It's fine, Jughead!" Betty's eyes widened at the unexpected anger in her voice. "Can we.." her voice drastically lowered, mumbling now. "..can we just keep walking, please?"_

_They both silently mutually agreed to drop the subject and continued walking._

_Eventually, Betty's arm dropped as she felt calmer and safer the longer she was next to Jughead, and her hand softly grasped his._

 

 

 

"Good! Let's plan to meet up at school tomorrow." Betty perked up beaming a radiant smile at the thought of seeing Jughead again tomorrow. "The Blue and Gold newspaper?"

"Sounds like a plan." Jughead nodded his head with a smile, starting to walk away.

"Wait! Jughead!" Betty's voice almost immediately caused Jughead to turn around. "About what I said about you constantly being on your computer.."

"What about it?"

"At Pop's.." Betty crossed one arm over her chest to hold her other arm, which was limp at her side. "You closed your laptop and pretty much ran out after I asked what you were writing."

"It's nothing, seriously Betty. Just some personal stuff that's all."

"Oh okay," Betty half-smiled, assuming that was all she'd be able to get out of him right now. "See you tomorrow, Jughead Jones?"

"See you tomorrow, Betty Cooper."

With that, Jughead Jones walked one way, and Betty Cooper walked the other way. One would be walking through the town of Riverdale the rest of that night, until he reached the Drive-In. The other would be walking a few feet until she reached her front door and prepared for the hell that was awaiting inside for her.

Jughead walked down the street, Betty's neighborhood was quiet. You could've heard a pin drop, that's how eerily silent it was. The sound of tennis shoes slapping the pavement behind Jug caught his attention. He stopped and looked behind him, seeing Archie Andrews on one of his nightly runs. But why was he running so late? It was well after midnight.

"Jug? What are you doing here?" Archie slowed to a walk until he came to a stop next to Jughead.

"I could ask you the same thing, Archie." Jug let out a sigh, crossing his arms as he looked at the ginger boy.

"I'm out on a run? Is running suspicious now?" Archie cracked a smile, lightly punching Jug on the shoulder.

Jug didn't crack a smile. For some reason unknown to Jughead at the time, there was a small rage boiling up inside him when he looked at Archie Andrews. "It is when it's almost two in the morning."

"I.. got a lot on my mind. Couldn't sleep." Archie shrugged and let out a wry chuckle.

"What's on your mind?"

"Is this an interrogation, Jughead?" Now Archie crossed his arms, his smile starting to fade.

"Betty seemed upset today, she mentioned your name but didn't say anything else." Jug blurted out, the rage inside of him wanting desperately to get straight to the point already. "What did you do to her?"

Archie's face was nothing but surprise, his eyebrows raised and his eyes wide for a few seconds. Then Jughead's words finally settled in, and Archie's nose flared up, his eyes focusing heavily now on Jughead. "It's nothing.. just..why do you even care?" Archie was starting to become exasperated by Jug's sudden questions about Betty.

"Why do I care..?" Jug's voice was now starting to raise in anger. "Why don't you care? From what it seemed to me, she was upset and yet, where were you? You're her closest best friend forever aren't you?" The way he said the last question gave off an annoyed and almost..jealous tone.

"Yeah..we are best friends, that's all we ever would be." Archie huffed and grinned. "I mean is that really such a bad thing? I love her, Jughead. And quite frankly, as someone who's the weirdo loner with pretty much only one friend, me, who on earth are you to judge about friendships?"

Jughead blinked, frozen. "What did you just say?"

"Dude, I'm sorry, I just- I didn't mean it like-"

"What the _hell_ did you just say?" Jughead gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing up. It almost felt like slow motion. His fists slowly balled up at his sides, each finger drifting downwards to form two fists almost shaking. "You think you're my only friend? Hold up, hold up, dude." Jughead's beaten converse slowly took a step closer to Archie, their bodies now inches of each other. Jughead's turquoise eyes were directly in front of Archie's amber-caramel eyes. One's forehead was starting to twitch ever so slightly in anger, the other's forehead had eyebrows raising in worry and regret.

"You've been barely a friend lately, I guess ever since you started fucking the music teacher!"

Archie, out of fear, paranoia, and instinct, covered Jughead's mouth and shushed him. "Don't say that so loud!" Archie grunted through gritted teeth.

 _ **"Agh** **shit!"**_ Archie tried his best to quiet his yelp of pain as he recoiled his hand. The palm had fresh teeth marks, enough for a small trail of blood. Nothing serious, but..

"Jughead what the fuck?!" Archie whispered in rage.

"Don't _fucking touch me._ " Jughead spat out venomously. "You've got child molester all over you. You've got insensitivity bigger than the fucking planet! Either that, or maybe you are just a dumb jock whose only chance at a "life" is being physically gifted as opposed to mentally or creatively gifted. Your only shot at college is to run through other physically gifted guys! Isn't that pathetic?" Jughead wanted to stop, but he couldn't. He fucking knew better than to actually speak his feelings. But he felt anger and sadness, he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop the words from flowing out. 

"And then guess what happens! You become a boring nobody at a construction company! You don't change the world. You don't _better_ people's lives." Jughead threw his hands up and the only sound was the slap of his hands on his sides in frustration. "But you're either such an idiot, or you're naive. And that's even worse." Archie tried to speak, but Jughead silenced him with a firm stomp on the ground, close to Archie.

"You better people's lives at first, yeah I'll agree with that. But then you get greedy. You keep wanting more. You keep wanting "better". You keep wanting the best you can have. And all the while you can't see how _fucking_ good you had it in the first place!" Another harsh stomp on the ground, even closer to Archie, followed immediately after. "You had the amazing friends who cared about you. You had the chance to be happy and ride the smooth 'Archie Andrews' path where you've got it so great..and you don't even see it."

"Jughead, please! Can you just.. chill? We can talk this out, you've clearly have issues with me."

"Issues? I have issues? As if you're the shining perfect poster child?! How damn arrogant do you have to be?" Jughead's emotions were riling up. He felt like he was going to pass out.

"No..! I said issues _with_ _me!_ " Archie watched as Jughead started to calm down, he listened to Jug's breathing starting to slow. "I-I'm sorry! But why do you care so much..?"

"Because that's why you hurt Betty.." Jughead rolled his eyes at the scoff from Archie. "You took her for granted. All this time you _knew_ she was heads-over-heels for you. I'm not saying you had to date her. No. But you knew, Arch." Jughead let out a long sigh. "You knew how she felt, and you avoided it. You subtly entertained it too, you basically dragged her on all these years, leaving those feelings unanswered and bursting at the seams."

"And as long as those feelings remained inside her," Jughead shook his head slowly, turning his head to glance at Betty's house in the distance. Curiously, there was a light on, but downstairs right where the front door is. He couldn't see clearly why it was on, but it didn't feel right. "The more destructive the aftermath of rejection will be. You took Betty for granted. I can't forgive that."

Jughead's mind was slowly starting to lock up again, the words that came out so easily and passionately just moments ago, were slowing down. His whole body started to calm down. But, his mind sent out a few last words. "You're also completely naive to the fact your 'dad of the year' is an unapologetic dick who's as fake as everyone else in this goddamn town."

Archie Andrews snapped. All Jughead felt next was a quick sting like a cement block had collided with his jaw. He didn't feel his head hitting the pavement. His eyesight was blurry, but not to the extent where he couldn't make out the red-haired "perfect small-town boy" standing above him.

"I see Betty's number is on your hand. You really like her, Jughead? Fine. You can add rebound to your list of adjectives for yourself. Face it, Jughead. She's way too good for you. She was probably way too vulnerable and desperate, so she plucked out the first guy she saw..you."

"Don't..underestimate her." Jughead grumbled as he somehow got back up on his feet. "Go to hell, asshole."

_**Whack** _

Archie fell and hit the pavement. Jughead's converse dashed across the street, twisting and turning around corners all across Riverdale. He ran and ran, regardless of the bruise on his jaw and swollen knuckles. He was running to be alone. He was running to a familiar space, the Drive-In.

Archie Andrews got up slowly after being out for a couple minutes. Due to the fact he was just wearing athletic shorts and was shirtless, his injuries looked a lot rougher than Jug's.

But Jughead's inner self was roughed up a hell of a lot worse.

* * *

Maybe she would've heard the nearby yelling, perhaps she would've been able to run out and prevent words to be said, and regrettable actions to be taken, if her mother hadn't immediately started barking hysterically at her when Betty walked inside.

"It's almost two o'clock in the morning! Where the hell have you been?!"

"Mom!" Betty jumped in surprise. "I was out with Jughead that's all!"

"At two in the morning...?" Alice Cooper's teeth were gritted shut, her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. "Did you sleep with.. _Forsythe Pendleton Jones III..?"_ Each name was spat out in disgust and embarrassment.

"What? No! We didn't do anything! We just stayed at Pop's a bit longer than usual. Please, can I go to bed?" The question whined out in desperation.

"Go to your room _now!_ Honestly, Betty, will you quit being so naive?! You're going to get hurt, and when you get hurt.. you're going to snap." Alice scoffed. "If you keep this up, you're going to go insane just like your poor sister Polly." Alice Cooper walked upstairs right past Betty, going straight back to bed without another word.

Betty was left alone in the dark. She slowly made her way up to her room, closing the door and completely disregarding turning on the lights. Her pupils were shrinking, she felt lost within herself. She just felt blind anger and rage. Staring at her was her reflection in the mirror. It seemed to taunt her, presenting itself as the "good girl next door" all the while hiding its true senile self.

"Maybe you're right, mom.." Betty walked to the make-up table and sat down in the chair facing the mirror. "Maybe I will get hurt, maybe I will go insane. I mean it's an infection throughout the Cooper bloodline, right?" Betty scoffed, shaking her head with a smile. "But why can't I just use that inner craziness begging to jump out to my advantage? At least it gets the job done."

Betty Cooper smiled at the mirror one last time. "Betty, Polly, it doesn't matter who I am. Archie doesn't matter, he's just a distraction. Jughead.." Her smile faltered for a moment. "Jughead.. he'll end up like everyone else, a product of the infestation that is Riverdale."

It was hard to tell which started bleeding first. The deep cuts in her palms, gushing blood as she breathed calmly? Or was it her knuckles from punching with such incredible force and blasting her ears with a loud shatter?

Then Betty came to. She stared at her hands in disbelief, and then looked at the shattered and bloody glass shards left in the mirror. Betty quietly picked up the pieces she could and threw them down the toilet once she entered the bathroom. Her hands stung as she washed them and dried the bloody cuts, pressing down to clot it.

Tears ran down her cheeks slowly at first, then quiet sobs started to rise in intensity. She tried to look in the bathroom mirror, but she couldn't will herself to see it. Betty just stood there in the bathroom tile-floor with a washcloth pressed on her bloody hands. She stood there and she sobbed quietly

All she could think of was Jughead Jones. He made her feel more in control and confident of herself. He calmed her down. He knew and spoke the words she struggled to find. All she could hope for as tears dripped off her nose was that Jughead would remember to call her, he'd meet up with her at school. He'd know exactly what to say, he'll understand.

Betty Cooper finally fell asleep in bed, fresh tears still streaming out. She fell asleep thinking of Jughead's smile, how comforting it was. She was still hoping he'd be there tomorrow. Her nose sniffled as the last few tears made their final slide down her cheeks.

"Good night, Romeo." Betty whispered, chuckling softly.

Jughead's surprised and blushing face was the last thought she pictured before drifting off to sleep.

 

 


	4. He Did What?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight didn't stay secret for long.. the morning after the first person to find out was Betty
> 
> She heard Archie's side of the story and desperately tried to find Jughead, but he was nowhere to be found at school

Archie Andrews' bedroom window was opened like it usually was. But unlike the usual, Betty Cooper didn't immediately check out her window to see if Archie had woken up yet. Her mind instantly went to Jughead and her excitement to see him at the Blue and Gold newspaper office. But a sight did catch her eye, and she couldn't help but look out her window at the ginger-haired boy she's known for over a decade.

She squinted her eyes, practically leaning out the window. Were those.. cuts? And why did his eye look so black? "Archie? Archie!" Her instinct was to help anyone else who was hurt, anyone but herself. It's part of the reason why she developed the "perfect good girl next door" reputation around Riverdale. Right now, judging from how he looked, Archie was hurt and needed help. Big time.

"What happened?!" She asked with pure bewilderment and concern once Archie opened up his window.

"Betty..." Archie let out a sigh.

"No! Don't 'Betty' then sigh, me!" Her voice sharply cut him off. "What happened? Truth. Now."

"Are we really going to have a shouting match between our houses?" Archie's voice came out in an almost whiny manner.

"Well it looks like you were in a fighting match with a bear!"

"Bears don't live around Riverdale." Archie chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Fine." With that, she shut her window firmly and proceeded to get dressed for school, hastily brushing her teeth and hair. She opened her door as soon as her mom was about to turn the doorknob and enter.

"Oh, Elizabeth! I was just about to check on you and remind you to take your Adderall please!" She placed the small medicine bottle in Betty's hands, but before she let go, Alice Cooper had one last thing to say. "I don't want to see you anywhere near that Jones boy."

Betty just stayed silent, gripping the bottle in her hand. If it weren't for the bottle, her nails would've surely made themselves back at home through the skin of her palm. Her vibrant and defiant eyes glared at her mother for a brief moment, then Betty was out the bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door.

"Archie, what happened to you?" She asked once more as soon as she caught up with the ginger poster-boy of Riverdale, of whom was already halfway down the sidewalk headed to school. "I'm not taking no for an answer. Tell me. Now." Her voice was forceful, her mind completely off Jughead and trained on Archie.

"Jughead and I got in an argument last night, that's all.." Archie readjusted the backpack strap on his shoulder, looking ahead.

"Wait.." Betty stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "Jughead? No.. he was.."

"With you?" Archie gave a warm smile. "I know. It was late. Really late. We were both just tired and crabby." He stopped, slowly walking back towards where Betty was standing in mild confusion and shock.

With wide concerned eyes, Betty tenderly reached her hand up to touch the bruise on his jaw. "Jughead did this..?" Her mouth was agape, her eyes were blinking in desperation for a reason, an answer, anything. None of this made any sense! "I..I didn't think he would do this. Maybe he had a good reason..?"

"A good reason? For beating me up?" Archie let loose a sharp dry laugh. "He was..angry.. I don't know, he mentioned you.. He basically said.." His voice trailed off into a quiet sigh as his head bowed down and stared momentarily at both their feet, then back up at the blonde's face.

"...What..? Arch...what did Jughead say about me..?" Her eyes were looking up into his now. She didn't really know why she was taking this all so hard, she didn't know why Jughead's words had such an impact. What was wrong with her?

"He..he bragged about how he was in the picture now, and that I should stay away from you." Archie shook his head looking down at Betty, holding her hand on his jaw. "He said he's been waiting years for a chance to..."

"To..what...?" Then Betty's eyes widened with realization. "Sleep...with me..?" She gulped as her eyes started to water when Archie solemnly nodded his head in confirmation.

"Betty, I'm so sorry.." Archie pulled her into a gentle hug. "I was just so.. outraged.. He told me about how vulnerable you were after..after I turned you down. I yelled at him, he yelled at me, then he lunged at me and left me lying in the road." He cleared his throat quietly. "I don't think you should be near him.. with his dad struggling.. he just isn't acting the same. He needs help."

Betty couldn't even cry, she just held back tears as her eyes became more and more glassy. "What..else did he say?" She wanted the full truth, she needed to know. Even though the words Jughead apparently said about her were harsh and cruel, she still wanted to hear them.. to get to know the real Jughead.

"Betty, I don't.." Archie started to object, but Betty cut him off with a glare that reeked of stubbornness. "..He said you were crazy, just like the rest of your family, just like Polly.. so he figured maybe.. you would be.. freaky.. in bed."

"That.." Betty pulled away from Archie to try and breathe calmly, but she couldn't stabilize herself. "That...jackass!" She exclaimed with rage and hurt, pushing Archie aside as she stomped down the sidewalk back towards her house.

"Betty! What are you doing?!" Archie called out as he followed her.

"I'm going to give Jughead a piece of my mind! He wants to see crazy?!"

Betty turned around and looked at Archie with a wild smile and her hands in the air. "Then he'll _get_ crazy!"

She was in between a state of fragility and invincibility. Her mother couldn't have been right about Jughead, could she? But why would Archie lie, there's no reason for him! He gets nothing out of that. Betty practically almost ran Archie over, but he managed to leap out of the way at the last minute. The world around her seemed to go in slow motion. It was all a blur to her. A blur of red leapt away from the car barrelling down her driveway and onto the street. A voice yelled out behind her, but it sounded muffled as though it was from several rooms away.

The leaves were flowing back and forth on the trees, an occasional gold-shaded foliage slowly drifted peacefully through the wind. It was almost like a rhythmic pattern granted to the small neighborhoods of Riverdale by Mother Nature herself. That pattern was abruptly disturbed when a lone car sped down the suburban streets, hitching free-flying leaves with it. It was almost as if the pained girl in the driver's seat radiated so much heat and rage that it snatched and pulled the leaves in by sheer force.

The car's tires screeched to a halt in Riverdale High's parking lot, albeit a bit over the yellow lines. Okay, maybe "a bit" is a an understatement, but Betty would just have to deal with Principal Weatherbee's scolding lecture later. Right now as her all-white converse made tiny "taps" on the tiled floor of the barren hallway, she was set on finding Jughead and strangling him...or talking to him. It depended entirely on her mood, which was fluctuating between varying degrees of anger and wounded emotions.

It was still early enough where there were just a few teachers in their classrooms, and only a couple kids she saw straggling in the hallways.

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

She was practically speed-walking through the halls now. Betty's anger and hurt was so rampant inside her mind and heart that it consumed any thoughts of reason or sensations. One thing her fury-driven body was blinded to were the balled-up fists at her sides. Her fingernails were starting to dig in deeper and deeper the more she tried to suppress her emotions. It was like a time-bomb, and the cuts in her palms were the visible timer. The deeper the cuts, the closer to bleeding, the closer she was to blowing up into a storm of the likes Riverdale had never seen before.

_Squeak_

Her shoes practically slid across the floor as she took a sharp turn into the hallway most familiar to her, the one where her and her friends' lockers were and the headquarters for the Blue and Gold school newspaper. But an unfamiliar sight caught her eye almost immediately, it was Reggie and a couple of his football buddies huddled around a...closet? She didn't really care about what they were doing, for all she cared they could be pissing all over that closet. All she wanted was to know if any of them had seen Jughead.

"Hey Regg-" Her voice was surprisingly calm even with both hands stinging like hell behind her back. But she was cut off by Reggie's grin and loud smug voice as he took her arm and guided towards the front of their little huddle around the closet underneath the staircase.

"Betty, you gotta write about this in the school paper!" Reggie's laugh was booming and obnoxious. Did he ever know when to just shut up?! Betty was about to threaten and unleash all her pent-up fury right then and there when he touched her, but what she saw in the closet left her speechless. "Here, I got a headline for you! 'Hobo Under the Staircase'. Or..OH! How about, 'Pedo Lives Amongst High Schoolers'!"

Reggie and his dumb jock buddies couldn't contain their laughter, but for once Reggie was quiet as Betty tuned out their voices. Carefully, she knelt down in front of the closet, craning her neck to observe its contents. There was a pillow propped up against the wall, a small blanket covering the floor, and even a hanging assortment of light-up colorful lights. She found the switch and turned it on. The lights flickered at first then finally shone as brightly as they could-which wasn't much to be honest. But the pale lighting was enough for the young budding investigative journalist to see a lone picture tacked to the wall.

Slowly, she pulled the tack out and looked down at the photo. It was a little smiling black-haired boy hugging a younger-looking girl in a white dress and a red bow atop her long wavy raven hair. Betty's fingertips gingerly traced the classic and iconic Riverdale Drive-In sign in the background. The identity of the boy was already obvious to her. That small yet reclusive smile, the typical dark-colored jacket, and finally.. the iconic gray beanie. She couldn't tell if it was the same beanie, but there was no disputing it once she turned the photo over.

_"Jughead & Jellybean Jones"_

And suddenly, just like that, it was though everything in that moment froze. Everything except Betty's mind, which was moving backwards in time. All the way back to a memory buried deep inside her, discarded as an unimportant event among many in her childhood. But now it made sense.. why hadn't she put it together before?!

* * *

_The water splashed at their feet as the two young girls jumped in the puddle near the doorway of Pop's. Their parents chided them for their "messy behavior" and each took the hand of one of the girls'. The mother took the older girl's hand, she was eight or nine at the time. The father took the hand of the youngest, a smiling blonde kindergartner. Both girls were blonde and had kind smiles full of warmth, the adults around town often wondered how the hell they were their parents' kids. But most just said, "wait and see, those kids will turn crazy just like everyone else in their family"._

_The family walked inside the local town favorite diner. Pop Tate greeted them with a smile from behind the counter._

_"And how are we doing today, huh?" Pop happily asked the two little girls after both of them begged their parents to hoist them up on the "tall spinny chair thing!"_

_"I'm good, Mr. Tate!" The youngest cheerfully answered with a beaming smile. Her ponytail swung back and forth in the air as she spun a little to the right and a little bit back. "I passed my spelling quiz yesterday!"_

_"Please.. call me Pop! That's great to hear, Elizabeth!"_

_"Betty!" The young girl furrowed her eyebrows in a pout, hands on her hips sassily._

_"Right! I'm sorry, I'm an old man you'll have to excuse me." He reached down under the counter and pulled out a miniature smoothie for both sisters, each one their favorite. "How about a treat for your quiz?" Pop rested his arms on the counter, turning his head to pay attention to the older sister now. "And how about you, Polly? Have you done anything fun or cool lately?"_

_Polly glanced at her mother, who was seated at a booth with their father as the both of them scanned their menus. "Um..nothing really, I helped Betty study for her spelling quiz and..oh! At school we touched owl poop!"_

_Pop Tate let out a deep hearty laugh. "I think you mean pellets right?"_

_Polly let out a small giggle, nodding her head. "It was super gross at first, but.." Polly leaned in so only Pop and Betty could hear her. "..Jason Blossom.." a slight pink blush consumed her cheeks when she whispered his name. "..he took the tweezers and broke apart my pellet for me!" She rested her chin on her hands, with elbows propped up on the counter. "He's such a gentleman.." She smiled dreamily._

_"Ah, young love.." Pop chuckled with warmth. Of course he knew about the longstanding Blossom and Cooper rivalry, but he liked to believe in people as opposed to the last name they were born with. Besides, who would raise their kids to detest and fear someone they never met? If the idea of a Blossom made a young Cooper happy, then who was he to dash her happiness?_

_"Polly! Come here, please!" Their mother called out from the booth, giving Polly a stern glare._

_"Thank you for the smoothie, Mr. Pop!" Polly hopped down from the seat and went over to the booth her parents were at, sitting down next to her mother._

_Pop shook his head chuckling softly. "Mr. Pop...eh, close enough I guess." A few more customers walked into the diner. "Betty, is there anything else I can get you?"_

_"Nope! I'm happy right here, Mr. Pop!" Betty's smile was contagious. Pop had never met such a kind and happy go-lucky kid such as her before. He'd seen a lot throughout the decades in Riverdale, so it was refreshing to see such a pure soul. He only hoped a spirit like Betty's could rejuvenate the bleak small town._

_A gorgeous young woman with long flowy raven hair walked up to the counter, holding a little girl in one arm, while her free hand held the hand of a young quiet boy. "Hey Pop, I'm sorry, but Jellybean is getting grumpy and she's dying to go to the bathroom."_

_"Mommy! I have to peeeee!" Jellybean squirmed restlessly in the crook of the woman's arm. It was clear on her face that the woman was a bit overwhelmed at the moment._

_"I'm sorry to ask you this, I know you're busy, today is pretty packed and.." The woman sighed obviously flustered and stressed. "Is it okay if I leave him here with you for a few minutes?" She gently guided the boy over to the counter with his hand within hers._

_"Of course, Mrs. Jones, I don't mind at all." Pop gave her a warm smile of reassurance. Mrs. Jones sighed in relief and thanked him quickly before walking into the women's bathroom. "How about you hop up on up here, kiddo?" Pop smiled over the counter at the boy. "Do you need any help?"_

_The little boy looked to be about Betty's age. He had jet-black hair that looked plain from a distance, but once you got up close you could see how soft and handsome it was. A small curl that curled down across the boy's forehead was the cherry on top, exactly what his hair needed to go from plain to..style of some sort. He was scrawny, but he managed to hoist and pull himself up onto the stool, with some help from Pop Tate of course._

_"Would you like a smoothie or something to eat? It's on me!"_

_The boy, still silent, shook his head at first, then he looked at the menu Pop gave him. His index finger almost instantly landed on his choice. Pop peered over and smiled, giving a nod in confirmation. "The usual, I suspected as much. Just wanted to make sure! I'll be at the burners real quick, okay?" Pop walked a few feet towards the back of the small kitchen, turning on the burners and putting together the boy's order._

_"Hi!" Betty exclaimed cheerfully. "I'm Betty Cooper!" She held her hand out with an innocent and sweet smile and her eyes closed. The boy observed her hand for a few moments. He seemed to do a lot of that: observing. He was constantly looking around his surroundings, listening to the clatter of silverware, the jumbled overlapping chatter of conversations, and the expressions on different people's faces. The expression on Betty's face..made him feel..comfortable? He felt oddly at ease and welcomed in the face of her joyous smile._

_He hesitantly shook her hand, still not saying a word. "Do you wanna share some of my smoothie with me?" The little girl plucked another straw out of the nearby container and stuck it in her glass, turning it around so both their straws were facing them. "It's strawberry! Do you like strawberry?" Betty's smile faded ever so slightly as she waited for the boy to say something-anything!_

_"Mr. Pop! Can he talk?" Betty asked, not-too-subtly._

_"Y-Yeah..I-I like strawberry.." A soft mumble, so delicate that only Betty could hear, and even then it was a bit difficult._

_"Oh!" Betty blushed embarrassingly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you nervous!"_

_"N-No it's okay.." The boy, still very shy, took the straw and drank some of the smoothie._

_"How is it?" Betty asked with genuine curiosity. The quiet boy swallowed, giving a thumbs-up and a small smile._

_"My name's.. F-Fors...Forsy..Forsythe.. Pend..Pendleton Jones the Third!" He huffed his chest out with pride, saying "'Third" with enough emphasis to hopefully make up for the stuttering nervousness at the start._

_Pop just finished making a nice crispy burger, placing it in a to-go bag and handing it to the boy. At perfect timing, his mother exited the bathroom with his sister. "Thank you so much, Pop, for watching him." She saw the bag in her son's hand. "Did you say thank you?"_

_"T..Thank you.. Mr. Pop Tate.." The boy spoke gently albeit a little nervously. With that, his mom took his hand and walked out the door._

_"Bye! It was nice meeting you, Forsy!" Betty giggled sipping on the last remaining smoothie in her glass, watching the shy and strange boy walk across the windows. He looked back one last time, saw Betty, and smiled._

* * *

The memory was from a couple years before the photo was taken, but it was without a doubt Jughead Jones. She totally forgot about that. But.. if he wasn't here, where he was apparently living, then where the hell could he be?!

Ignoring Reggie and his friends, Betty pocketed the photo and took off down the hallways and back out into the parking lot. She was determined to find Jughead Jones. Then she'll talk to him, and then kick his fucking ass.

Maybe not in that exact order.

 


End file.
